Back in the 1960's, I saw an episode of Star Trek entitled "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" in which Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise come across two humanoids; Bele and Lokai, from the planet Cheron. Each of them is half black and half white, starkly separated down the middle of his body. The only difference is one is black on the right side and white on the left, while the other is exactly the opposite. When I saw the show, I thought of it as a satire of race relations in the USA, but today I thought about it and realized that it might be more fittingly mocking the Jewish/Muslim battle now taking place in the Middle-East.

If either Bele or Lokai were to stand in front of a mirror, he would see the image of his most hated enemy. A mirror image of a man white on his left would be a man white on his right. That is so fitting of today's (and yesterday's and probably tomorrow's) senseless slaughter taking place in and around Israel, because the Israeli and Muslim enemies are mirror images of each other. Abraham (Genesis 16) had two son's, one by his wife's maid-servant Hagar and then one by his wife, Sarah. The two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, are generally considered to be the fathers of Islam and Judaism, so the fight between Jew and Muslim is basically a family feud.

In the "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" episode of Star Trek, when Bele and Lokai return to their home planet of Cheron, they find a scene not too unlike that of Lebanon. The whole planet is now lifeless except for the two of them who beam down to continue their fight to the finish. Must the Middle-East lead the rest of the world down the same path taken by Cheron?

Some will blame the problem on the Israelis. "They are bullying the Palestinians and the Lebanese", they will say.

Some will blame it on the Muslims. "Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist groups" they will say. "Iran and Syria are terrorist states arming terrorist groups" they will tell you.

Bele and Lokai also had their excuses. "I'm white on the right, can't you see the difference?"

Yet the Jews and the Muslims are both using the same tactic. Kill civilians until they put enough pressure on their leaders or until they choose new leaders to get their side to stop. But what has the despicable killing of civilians actually done? It has hardened each side's populace. There are many fewer Jews now ready to make piece with their Muslim brothers than there was three weeks ago.

You might remember that after 911, the Republicans and Democrats came together in the US Congress to give President BuSh anything he wanted. There was unity in the streets of the USA. People; Black, White, Hispanic, Democrat and Republican were then Americans first. Osama Bin Laden and Al-Quaida brought the political left and right of the USA together. Well Israel's killing of civilians in Lebanon has brought the Sunnis and Shiites of the Middle-East together as never before. Even the Christians of Lebanon are now united with both the Lebanese Sunnis and Shiites. And the Sunni counties that have been friends of the USA are now criticizing Israel (and the USA) as if those Sunni countries were Shiite.

President BuSh claims to believe in the sanctity of human life. He has vetoed legislation that would (in his opinion) destroy human life that is smaller than this period. Yet, he and Condoleezza Rice have proposed a piece-plan that must have "a lasting piece" which is a code-phrase for "when Israel wins". The Israeli prime minister told Ms. Rice that he might need 10 days to two weeks to win. Are we willing to watch both Israeli and Lebanese babies die for the next two weeks? Are those children any less valuable that the embryos that BuSh wants to protect?

Sunday, a building in Lebanon was blown up with about 60 casualties. About 30 to 40 children died. About 600 Lebanese civilians including about 300 children have been killed in less than these 3 weeks. There have been about 30 Israeli civilians killed. Ms. Rice and Mr. BuSh claim that terrorism must be stomped out in the Middle-East (and around the world), but is it not terrorism to launch missile strikes, to fire artillery and use F16's to bomb populated areas? Hezbollah is wrong. Hezbollah is a terrorist group, but that does not make Israel right, nor does it make Israel any less of a terrorist country. People and countries must be judged, not by their friendship with the USA, nor the "Good Guy" sign that they fly, but by their actions. Israel is killing 20 Muslims (and Christians) in Lebanon for each Israeli that dies in the Hezbollah missile attacks. Doesn't "an eye for an eye" have any meaning to the Israelis? The bible does not say "20 eyes for an eye". Both sides are wrong.

Both sides must stop fighting now. The USA must insist that there be talks. The USA must drop the BS line that we don't talk to terrorists. Pretending that Hezbollah, Syria and Iran do not exist just keeps the killing of babies going on for a longer time.

Can't we learn something from Bele and Lokai, and Star Trek, or must the Earth wind up like the planet Cheron?

Thank you for this post. (I always sort of thought it was a satire of the Cold War, but I was only a child.) Unfortunately, family fueds go beyond my undersanding. Fueds of any sort, for that matter, are beyond my understanding. What happened between the two families a millenial ago is irrelevent today. Or it should be.

I suppose it comes down to whether we teach our children peace or if we teach them the stories of ancient slights and horrors.

Perhaps it is because I have no sense of "honor" in the way it is so often used and miss-used.

Great post TOM, unfortunately IMHO the earth will wind up like Cheron...its just a matter of time